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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · rule · wave · march · deal · rash · cold · suit

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. suit — clothes
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rule — a law
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — music
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rash — a series
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com